Source: Northern_Echo
Hughton determined to focus only on promotion
NEWCASTLE UNITED'S victory at Coventry City last night equalled the Championship's longest run of successive wins, but Chris Hughton is only interested in reviewing such achievements once promotion has been secured this season.[LNB] Goals from Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger helped extend the Magpies winning streak to seven games.[LNB] Hughton's side have equalled the run achieved by Kevin Keegan's entertainers 13 years ago and at the same time drawn level with Wolverhampton Wanderers who'd held the record for successive wins in the Championship.[LNB] Hughton was delighted to have created history at the Ricoh Arena last night but remains focused on a far bigger prize.[LNB] Hughton said: It's wonderful for the team to equal those records. To be where we are at this moment speaks volumes for this team and I think it gives us the confidence and strength to go on getting good results.[LNB] There have been a few things mentioned to us about clean sheet records or winning runs but the most important thing for us is keeping it going.[LNB] Newcastle extended their lead at the top of the Championship to seven points and only the most pessimistic of supporters can doubt their side's credentials to end the season as title-winners.[LNB] None of their rivals for promotion seem capable of putting together a run of results that can challenge the Magpies. Barring a major collapse, Newcastle's stay in English football's second tier looks like being a brief encounter.[LNB] We can do all the talking we want but ultimately there is only one thing that matters and that is that come the end of the season we're in the top two, said Hughton.[LNB] We have had plenty of tough games but what we have had until now is that little bit more than most. We know that for as well as we have done, there will be difficult times around the corner.[LNB] We saw what Shola Ameobi can bring to the team and the squad. The first goal was tremendous but that is him.[LNB] He is a big lad and he is a player who can score goals in the air. But he is in an excellent finisher with either right or left foot.[LNB] And the manager hailed the performance of Ranger who bagged his first senior goal in a Newcastle shirt after replacing Peter Lovenkrands shortly after the hour mark.[LNB] I was delighted for Nile.[LNB] We've given him the introduction he needs and I am sure that there is more to come from him, said Hughton, whose side have now kept clean sheets in their last four games.[LNB] Andy Carroll travelled with the Newcastle squad to Coventry but did not figure among the substitutes.[LNB] Hughton explained: It was my decision to leave him out.[LNB] We have a good squad.[LNB] The return of Ameobi, who lasted over an hour of a tough contest, suggests that Hughton's squad has more than enough quality to continue their magnificent run of form.[LNB] The defeat extended Coventry's winless run to ten games and manager Chris Coleman revealed he expects players to leave in the January transfer window.[LNB] We need a little bit of fresh blood in certain areas,'' he said. We may lose one or two.[LNB] I've said one or two may need to move on.'' Coleman had mixed emotions regarding the result but felt the pain of another loss despite his side putting up a stern fight.[LNB] I thought we were a lot better than we were on Sunday (in the 1-0 defeat at Scunthorpe) but it doesn't change the result, it's another game gone by that we haven't won,'' he said.[LNB]
